The present invention relates to a connector, and especially to a zero insertion force connector.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,676,832; 4,498,725; 4,750,891; 4,988,310; and 5,057,031 and Taiwan patent application Nos. 83208396, 83214436, 83203222, 82208450 and 82214129 disclose zero insertion force connectors. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional connector 6 comprises a base 61 having a plurality of contact receiving cavities 611, a cover 62 movably mounted on the base 61, a plurality of contacts 63 received in the cavities 611, and a cam mechanism 64. Each cavity 611 has a wide end 6111 and a narrow end 6112. When the cover 62 is positioned at an open position, each pin 7 of an electronic component (not shown) is positioned in the wide end 6111 and is not engaged with an engaging portion 631 of the contact 63. After the cover 62 is positioned at a closed position, each pin 7 is positioned in the narrow end 6112 and is connected with each engaging portion 631 and a side wall 610 of each cavity 611 on opposite sides thereof. However, when the pins 7 are driven from the wide ends 6111 to the narrow ends 6112, each pin 7 scrapes the engaging portion 631 of the contact 63 and the side wall 610 of the cavity 611 on opposite sides thereof, thus, a force required to drive the pins 7 is significant. Additionally, the pins 7 are likely to become disengaged from the engaging portions 631 since the pin 7 engages with the engaging portion 631 in a plane parallel to a direction in which the pin 7 moves. Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.